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A
Cathedral City founded in 673 when Princess
Etheldreda, daughter of the Anglo-Saxon
King Anna adopted Christianity & formed
a Convent one mile north of the Saxon
village of Cratendune, an act that later
ensured her elevation to Saint
Etheldreda.
However, Ely dates back much further as recent
Archeological excavations have unearthed
Roman graves and the discovery of the
remnants of Iron Age Round Houses imply
truly ancient peoples had built farms &
communities at the edge of Ely's
un-natural hill... |
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It is commonly said that Ely derives its name
from 'eel' and '-y' or '-ey' meaning island.
This may be true, due to the position of Ely,
an island in low-lying fens that were historically
very marshy and rich in eels. It is also known
as the Isle of Ely suggesting an island. It
has even been claimed that, during the 11th
century, monks of the town used eels as currency
to pay their taxes. People are said to have
walked around on stilts or used boats to get
around the Fens and only people of the Fens
knew the correct route so they wouldn't drown.
The city's origins lay in the foundation of
an abbey in 673 AD,[2] a mile (1.6 km) to
the north of the village of Cratendune on
the Isle of Ely, under the protection of St
Ethelreda, daughter of King Anna. The abbey
was destroyed in 870 by Danish invaders[3]
and not rebuilt for over a hundred years.
The site was one of the last holdouts in England
to the rule of William I, its leader Hereward
the Wake remaining independent until his surrender
in 1071. Following William's defeat of Hereward
he commissioned the construction of Ely Castle.
It was demolished some time in the 13th century.
Oliver Cromwell lived in Ely for several years
after inheriting the position of local tax
collector in 1636. His former home dates to
the 16th century and is now used by the Tourist
Information Office, as well as being a museum
with rooms displayed as they would have been
in Cromwell's time. Cromwell was one of the
Governors of the Thomas Parson's Charity,
which dates back to the sixteenth century
and was granted a Royal Charter by Charles
I. The Original Charter and copies of the
Minute Book containing Oliver Cromwell's handwriting
and signature have recently been loaned to
the Ely Museum. The Charity still provides
Grants and Housing to deserving local applicants.
Historical documents relating to Ely, including
Church of England parish registers, court
records, maps and photographs, are held by
Cambridgeshire Archives and Local Studies
at the County Record Office in Cambridge.
Ely retains many historic buildings and winding
shopping streets. There is a market on Thursday
and Saturday each week. The city is on the
River Great Ouse and was a significant port
until the 18th century, when the Fens were
drained and Ely ceased to be an island.
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